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Lessons from Sickness

Being a parent of four young boys has its challenges. One of those challenges is staying healthy. Our kids are walking petri dishes. There are definitely lessons to be learned from sickness. Here is what the Lord is teaching me.

1. Physical weakness is a reminder of spiritual weakness. I think almost every physical reality has a spiritual counterpart (it’s almost as if someone designed it that way). Being physically sick is a good reminder of what it is like to be spiritually sick. Here are some things that characterize sickness: Response time is slow. Alertness is way down. Energy down; lethargy up. Overly sensitive to stimuli. Easily annoyed. Can only care for self.
2. Physical weakness is a reminder of my dependence on Jesus. I always need Jesus, but when I my back is up against the wall and I can do nothing to fix myself, it is a reminder of how frail and weak and needy and dependent I am. That is exactly how I should feel always.
3. Physical weakness is very telling of the true condition of my heart. It is easy to be nice to my family when it is convenient and comfortable and I feel good. But when I am grumpy and hurt and am low on energy, my true character comes out. What am i willing to do for others when it is not easy? How eager am I to serve when it costs me much? The greater the pressure, the more I need to lean on Christ.
4. Physical weakness makes me long for heaven. Whenever I feel sick it is a healthy reminder that it is only going to get worse. As I age, the weakness grows. There is not much to look forward to in this regard. This might be incredibly depressing if it were not for the promise of heaven and being with Jesus. Weakness makes me realize I am living for another world and not this world.